Watchcase



May 23, 1933 G. A. WEINGARTNER 1,910,908

WATCHCASE Filed March 3l. 1931 Fica. l. I Fics. 2.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

A GIEv WINGARIMR f 22' Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE A. WEINGARTNER, OF FORT THOMAS, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR T0 THE WADS- WORTH WATCH CASE COMPANY, OF DAYTON, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY WATCHCASE Application led March 31, 1931. Serial No. 526,630.

rlhis invention relates to watchcase construction and more specifically to a waterproof crown structure.

In the patent to Georges Perret, No. 1,661,232, granted March 6, 1928, is disclosed a crown structure for watchcases to effect tightness of the joints between the crown, the winding stem and the watchcase. The device shown in this patent has several serious defects in that the packing member 1G is visible at all times and being of an elastic material impermeable toy water it does not harmonize with the exterior finish of the watchcase; also the screws 9 and l0 and the threaded openings therefor in the crown 8 are likewise visible at all times and it is well-known to those skilled in the art of watchcase construction that a screw thread, regardless as to its accuracy in manufacture, is a passage easily penetrated by water. Theopenings for these screws 9 and l() are also unsightly and detract from the finished appearance of the crown 8 due to the fact that the threaded openings for said screws would show the base metal of the crown unless the crown were made of solid precious metal or plated after the threads were out.

My invention seeks to overcome the defects inherent in a crown structure for watchcases of the kind just described, by providing a reorganization and arrangement of parts whereby no base metal of the crown or associated parts is exposed or any pliable gaskets are exposed, nor docs the crown have any exposed threaded openings or screws therein which, as above pointed out, become passages easily penetrated by water.

ther objects of my invention are to provide a waterproof crown construction'for watchcascs which is simple, efficient, econnomical to manufacture and highly satisfactory in accomplishing its intended purposes, to-wit: preventing water, dust and likeforeign matter from entering the watchcase at the opening for the winding stem.

A further object of this invention is to have all of the parts concealed by the crown when the latter is screwed upon the case.

A still further object is to so construct and arrange the parts in a manner permitting the sealing gasket to be located between the crown tube and the crown proper and carried and concealed by the latter at all times.

The present invention consists in providing a crown tube rigidly attached to the movement ring and having a screw threaded engagement with the crown, of a sealing gasket located between said tube and crown, of a winding stem sleeve screwed to the winding stem and having a non-circular head which is adapted to be received by a non-circular socket yin the crown whereby any rotation of the latter is imparted to the windingstem through said sleeves, of a retaining washer ixed to the crown to imprison the noncircular head of the winding sleeve within the non-circular socket in the crown and of an expansion spi-.ing located between the sleeve and crown to normally force the crown in a direction away from the winding stem.

The invention further consists in the construction, combination, location and arrangement of parts,kall as will be hereinafter more fully set orth and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which is made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts* Fig. l is a greatly exaggerated sectional view of one embodiment of the invention, the crown being illustrated in the sealed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the section being taken on a plan different to thatof Fig. l and' illustrating the crown in the unsealed position or in a position whereby winding of the movement and setting of the hands can be accomplished;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the crown, one-quarter section being removed to clearly illustrate its construction;

Fig. t is an isometric view of the winding stem sleeve, one quarter section of which is removed to show its construction;

Fig. 5 is an isometric View of the crown gasket and washer likewise partially broken away;

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of the crown the stem being carried by and forming'a' part of the watchcase.

The present invention relates to a waterproof crown for the former type, that is a movement. having the stem constructed as a part thereof. In bothv types, however, it is necessary to rotate the winding stem :tor winding the mainspring of the movement, in addition to moving the stem axially for the purpose of setting the hands.

Referring to 1 and 2, 9 designates a part of the watchcase which, in this instance, represents the center or movement ring, 10 designates the crown tube, 11 the crown, 12 the winding stem sleeve, 13 the winding stem, 11 the retaining washer, 15 the gasket and 16 the crown expansion spring.

Referring more yin detail to the abovementioned parts, the crown tube 10 is preferably cylindrical in form, as shown in Fig. 6, and is provided with an internal annular flange 17/ at its bottom and with an external annular flange 1S at its top. The outer periphery7 of the last-mentioned fiange is provided with a left-hand external screw thread 19 which is adapted to receive the internal lett-hand screw thread. 20 of crown 11 in a manner presently to be described. The crown tube 10 is further provided with a central bore 21 and a. communicating central bore 22, said bore 22 being of a smaller diameter than the bore 21 through which the winding stem 13 is adapted to be passed, the bore 21 being of a size suitable for receiving the lower portion ot the winding stem sleeve 12, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1'and 2. The lower part ot crown tube 1() is received within an opening 9a in the part 9 of the watchcase and securely fixed Vtherein in any suitable manner, as, tor example, by solder=23. Thus the crown tube 10 be comes a fixed part ot the watchease center, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this part 9 in the presentinstance being the movementholding means or center, as above stated.`

Referring next to the winding stem sleeve 12 and especially to Fig. 4, itrwill be seen that the upperend of said sleeve has a squarefhead 24 formed integral therewith, the sleeve being provided .with a spring receiving recess 25, which recess is separated from the internallythreaded socket 26 by the partition 27 formed as an integral partoi the winding stem sleeve 12. The internal right-hand threaded socket 26, of winding stem sleeve 12, receives the right-hand external thread 'formed on the outer end ot' the winding stem 13, and when sleeve 12 is screwed home upon the outer end of the winding stem 13 (or until the outer end thereot comes to rest against the partit-ion 2T) any clockwise rotation ot saidV winding stem sleeve will be imparted to said winding stem 13. As shown in Fig. 1.; the gasket 15 is preferably made ot' a flexible pliable material imperifious to water, such as cork, and the washer 1st is preferably made ol a metal. Crown 11 is provided with a square socket '29 adapted to receive the square head 21 of winding stem sleeve 12.

In assembling the parts comprising the waterproot` crown and associated part, the first operation is that of soldering the crown tube 10 to the center or movement ring 9 et the V'atch lase with solder at 23, or otherwise permanently attaching said crown tube to said watchcase. Then insert the expansion spring 16 within the spring receiving recess 25 and place the square head 24 of winding stem sleeve 12 within the square socket 29 of' crown 11. Then insert the washer 1d over the winding stem sleeve 12 and within the crown 11. Then solder or otherwise attach at 3() the metal gasketlat to the internal annular shoulder 28 ot' crown 11. Then place the pliable gasket 15 upon the top face otcxternal annular f'lange 1S of crowntube 10. Then insert the outer threaded end of.r thewinding stem 13 within the internal threaded socket 26 of winding stem sleeve 12 and rotate the crown in a clockwise direction, thus screwing the threaded end ot said winding ystem within the winding stem sleeve 12 until the end of said stem 13 is screwed home against the partit-ion 27 of the winding stem sleeve 12.

To wind the watch and set the hands, the crown 11 is unscrewed from the crown tube 10 by rotating it in a. clockwise direction,

or in a direction suitable for winding. lVhen the crown 11 is separated from the crown. tube 10, spring 16 moves theV latter into the position shown in Fig. 2, at which time the washer 11 is brought against. the square head 2st of winding stem sleeve l2, thus limiting the outward movement ot' said crown. lVith the crown 11 thus separated trom the crown tube 10, the mainsming ot' the movement can be wound by rotating the crown in a clockwise direction and ii the user desires to set the hands he may do so by pulling outwardly upon the crown 'l1 whereupon the washer 14 will pull outwardly upon the square head 2t ot the winding sleeve 12, which sleeve in turn pulls outwardly upon the winding stem 12S in order to bring the winding stem and the mechanism which it operates to a setting position.

After either of the operations of winding the main spring of the movement or setting of the hands has been accomplished, all that is necessary to seal the joint between the crown 11 and the crown tube 10, is to press inwardly upon said crown against the compression of spring 16 and rotate it in an anti-clockwise direction, whereupon the internal screw thread 2() of the crown 11 will be screwed upon the external thread 19 of the crown tube 10 at which time the sealin gasket 15 will be concealed within sai crown and tightly wedged between the washer 14 and the upper surface of flange 18 of the crown tube l0, as clearly shown in Fiff. 1.

while I have shown the washer 14 soldered within the crown 11, as at 30, in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be understood that said gasket could be supplied with an external thread 14a, as shown in Fig. 7 and with Spanner wrench sockets 145, if desired, so that said washer, instead of being soldered to crown 11, could be screwed therein, the thread 14a of the washer being received by the internal screw thread 20 of said crown, as will be clearly apparent from the draw- It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my waterproof crown construction without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not, therefore, limit myself to what is shown in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as set forth in the appended claim.

Having thus fully described my said in vention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A new and improved waterproof crown structure for wrist watchcases of the t-ype wherein the winding stem is formed as a part of the watch movement comprising the combination of a wrist watchcase, a crown tube soldered thereto, an external left hand thread cut upon the outer end of said tube, a crown provided with an internal noncircular socket, an internal left hand thread cut in said crown, a shoulder formed within said crown and located between said socket and thread thereof, a retaining washer fixed within said crown, a winding stem sleeve having its inner end internally threaded to receive the threaded outer end of a winding stem, an enlarged non-circular head formed upon the outer end of said sleeve, a resilient gasket located between said crown and said crown tube, and a spring received within a bore in the outer end of said winding stem f sleeve and adapted to normally exert outward pressure against said crown characterized by the fact that said non-circular head of said Winding stem sleeve is imprisoned within the non-circular socket in said crown by said retaining washer and that s ald crown when free from said crown tube 1s permitted to move axially relative to said sleeve but compelled to rotate there-y 

